The recording of this interview is now available to watch on demand

A self‑made billionaire and one of the most active dealmakers in global retail, Salter is the chief executive, founder and chairman of Authentic Brands Group, which he has built by acquiring well‑known but struggling labels and shifting them to an asset‑light, licensing‑led model. Its portfolio includes brands such as Brooks Brothers, Nine West and Juicy Couture, alongside intellectual property including Reebok and Sports Illustrated, as well as the estates of Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley. The company also has partnership deals with global sports stars including Shaquille O’Neal and David Beckham. 

Under Salter, Authentic has become one of the world's largest brand licensing companies, generating tens of billions of dollars in annual retail sales while running a relatively small corporate operation. As weaker consumer spending reshapes retail dealmaking, Salter has signaled a focus on larger, more established brands. 

Reuters e-commerce correspondent Arriana McLymore spoke with Salter at Reuters Momentum AI in New York City about how his acquisition strategy is evolving in a tougher consumer environment and how Authentic chooses brands for long-term investment. They discussed whether the company may revisit direct-to-consumer sales and where artificial intelligence is meaningfully improving decisions rather than simply adding hype.